If you do not have a keypad entry system in your RV you do
not know what you are missing. It is one of the most convenient upgrades that
can be made to an RV because it is so nice not to carry keys when leaving the
RV. The key pad entry system is far more convenient then a key fob keyless
entry system which requires you to carry the key fob with you just like keys,
and a key fob is even more susceptible to damage then a plain old key.

Many GMC owners followed the previous keyless entry project
by Paul Bartz that was discussed on GMC Talk. I too followed this and put
in a keyless entry system out of a 1988 Ford Taurus for a total cost of less
then 40
dollars. It is one of the most useful upgrades that I have made to the GMC
to date. and a huge plus is that my wife loves it. The only down side is
that it is based on older technology and it looses the auxiliary entry code that
has been programmed in every time it looses power which means every time I turn
the battery isolation switch to off. It also has only a single secondary
entry code. I would also like to have more then one secondary code. Another downside is that reprogramming
the master code requires physically changing jumpers on a PC board. Also the
Ford system that I installed does not have any tamper protection either.
Many of these downfalls may be addressed in later versions of the ford system,
but I found another solution.

When making one of my many trips to my favorite source of
parts to upgrade my GMC "Northwest RV Supply in
Eugene" http://www.nwrvsupply.com/ I found a stack of new technology keypad keyless entry systems that were
take offs from high end motor homes due to some problems. In exchange for
one of the units I agreed to test the remaining units to determine if they are
good or bad, and also put together a wiring diagram to incorporate the
appropriate relays to operate the door lock and interior light. Many of the units tested out just fine and at a cost of
around $60 they are
a real bargain. I found one of the boxes with a retail sticker on it
showing
$330. Read on to learn more about installing one of these units.

.

Disclaimer

The systems at Northwest RV are takeoffs from a high end motor coach for
some unknown reason, most likely because someone did not like the feel of the
buttons. It has passed a functionality test so should work fine. After talking
to the manufacturer of this keyless entry system it was found that it is
designed to be mounted in a body panel with a skin thickness of 30 thousandths
(auto body thickness). Most RVs have much thicker skins and if mounted to a
thicker skin the buttons are much harder to operate which may explain why this
was a takeoff from one of those high end coaches. Under the description for
mounting in this guide suggestions are made to handle the thicker skin. The
buttons on this unit do not provide any tactile feed back when pushed and
therefore a sound (beep) provides feedback to indicate when a button is pushed. This may
be somewhat disconcerting to the first time user but works well once you have
used it for a while. The Ford system on the other hand provides nice
tactile feedback when a button is pushed.

Functions Available

In addition to the ability to lock and unlock the door
using the keypad several other functions can be implemented. The pad can be
configured to turn on a light when the door is unlocked, the light stays on for
about 5 seconds which allows time to find a light switch. One or more remote lock/unlock
switches can be located elsewhere in the coach such as next to or on the doorl
or at the drivers station. It can also be configured to unlock storage bays
depending on how the bay locks are set up.

Choosing where to mount

In installing the keyless entry system you need to consider
where you want the keypad and what you want it to do for functionality. One of the major considerations is getting wires into the
door. This can dictate where the unit is mounted.

Two options are typically available;

Option 1:

Run the wires directly from the door frame to the door
which is the cheapest and most desirable if the door configuration allows. This
is what you will find in most cars today. The problem with RVs is that there may
not be space in the door jamb for the wire or a place for the wire to go when
the door is closed. Some type of protection for the wire is desired and it must
control the wires so they do no get caught when the door is closed. For some
ideas check out A1Electric on the WEB at
http://www.a1electric.com/catalog/cat_acc.htm in their Catalog accessories
page and look at the stainless steel wire loop (LOOP-94201),
the accessory rubber boots (small (BOOT-SM)
and large (BOOT-LG).
I am sure that a good DIYer can come up with a solution for many configurations. With this option multiple
wires can easily be run so mounting the keypad in the door is a good option
where getting the inside panel off is the easiest.

Option 2:

Where option 1 cant be implemented then you can probably
use contacts that make up when the door is closed similar to what is used in
sliding van doors. With this option it is not as practical to run numerous
wires so if functions other then just locking and unlocking the door are desired
then mounting the keypad next to the door and just taking the control wires to
the door actuator with a the sliding door contacts makes sense, assuming that
you can get relatively easy access to the back side of the wall where you would
want to mount the keypad. If only locking and unlocking the door are desired
without the doom light feature or remote lock and unlock, then the keypad can
still be mounted in the door by taking the power through the sliding door
contacts to the keypad. The only down side will be that every time the door is
closed the keypad will power up and beep twice. The
sliding door contacts can be
found at A1Electric on the WEB at
http://www.a1electric.com/catalog/cat_acc.htm which is their accessories
page $7.95 plus shipping.

A1Electric is also a source for a
door lock actuator, look
in their catalog under Door lock kits for the "Single MES power Door lock
Actuator (2 wire premium actuator)" (W15F) $15.95 plus shipping.

Note: This is not an endorsement for A1Electric it is a
source where parts have been successfully purchased. There are other sources on
the WEB, even on e-bay and possibly at local auto parts houses. Prices shown
here were valid Aug 04

Mounting Direct to RV Skin

After deciding
where the keypad will be mounted get access to the backside of the wall or door
and be sure nothing is in the way. After determining there is room to mount the
keypad module and route wiring, drill holes for each of the buttons on the
keypad and for the screws. The holes are on 3/4 centers, the two end holes for
the screws are 11/64 diameter and the holes for the buttons are 9/16 diameter.
The screw holes need to be countersunk for the screw heads. A stepped Unibit
Drill (#3) or similar is a good option for drilling the button holes after a ¼
pilot hole has been drilled for each button If the skin on your RV is thicker
then 30 thousandths (about the thickness of 3 business cards) then make
appropriate adjustments or consider mounting on separate panel as described
below.

Adjusting for thicker skin

At the ends of the keypad are mounting studs to mount the
keypad to the skin. Normally there are 2 white plastic washers on these studs.
Either remove one or more of these or grind down until the edge of the keys is flush with the outside of the skin or very slightly above when it is put in
position. If too high the overlay will not glue down to the skin properly.

Mounting on Separate Panel

When the skin on the RV is thicker then the 30 thousandths,
one solution is get a piece of stainless steel material that is
about 30 thousandths thick and manufacturer a mounting plate for the key pad.
Then cut a rectangular hole through the RV skin that is large enough for the
keypad (about 5 1/8  x 1 1/16). The plate with the keypad already mounted is
then glued and screwed to the outside of the RV over the hole.

Wiring

Bring a power lead from a fused source to the
location of the keypad module and also a ground wire from a good ground
location. These wires should be a minimum of 14ga and the fuse should be
appropriate, i.e. 15 amps or less.

Since the keypad module will only handle about 250
milliamps of current, relays will need to be added to drive the various options
including the lock/unlock operator and the dome light.

Relays can be obtained from NW RV, $1 for
Omeron , $5
dollars for Potter & Brumfield.
Most standard automotive relays can be used. For these guidelines we have used the $1 Omron.
But the $5 version will work also and is a little easier to mount since it has
holes which can be used to mount them. The 1$ version has to be custom mounted
with hot glue, wire ties or some other method. Since we did not have sockets
for the relays so connection to the relays is done with crimp on spade
connectors

The Wiring diagram
with this DIY guide shows how to wire up
the relays for the door actuator, dome light and remote lock/unlock switch.

Mount the programming switch in a location that is hidden
but accessible. After pushing the programming switch you have about 2 minutes
to start the programming process. Programming is described in the user guide.

Door Actuator Installation

I purchased a 2 wire actuator from A1Electric
door lock actuator, look
in their catalog under Door lock kits for the "Single MES power Door lock
Actuator (2 wire premium actuator)" (W15F) $15.95 plus shipping. It
comes with installation instructions and is relatively easy to mount. It
fit almost perfectly between two of the cross members in the door and the rod
was attached to the GMC lock button shaft with the provided fitting. The
only real thing to keep in mind is that the actuator needs to be mounted
parallel to the shaft that is being operated. The following picture shows
the installation on my coach, unfortunately the operating rod is hidden behind
the lock mechanism.

Cautions/Problems

Be sure to mount keypad with the tag on the keypad that
says this side up in the up position. This would be with the wires on the left
as you look at the keypad from outside the RV.

If the unit puts out a continuous tone you have probably
put in to many illegal digits and activated the no tamper feature. The tone
will last 30 seconds and the keypad will blink at 1 second interval as well as
the doom light if connected.

If buttons are hard to push be sure that you have not
mounted keypad on to thick of wall/skin. If still hard to push then it may
be a unit that was taken out for that reason

Default code when keypad is first installed is 1,3,5,7,9 be
sure to reprogram after installation is complete.

When first testing be sure someone is in coach to unlock
door if there is a problem.

Test before closing up panels.

Tools Required

Drill

¼ drill bit

Step drill bit that includes 9/16  holes

11/64 drill bit

Small Philips screw driver

Wire striper

Wire crimper

Parts Required

Keypad (Northwest RV) $60

Programming switch/button (probably with keypad but
available at radio shack)<$5.00